🎄 Healthy Holidays: Keep Moving & Stress Less ✨
The holiday season is a busy and exciting time, but can also be stressful 😅. Between shopping, parties, traveling, and visiting family, it's easy for your regular exercise routine to fall by the wayside. Research shows physical activity levels often dip after the holidays. 🛍️🥳✈️👨👩👧👦 —-> 📉
That’s why it’s essential to prioritize your health ❤️. Regular exercise can help reduce holiday stress and keep you feeling your best 💪.
🌟 Key Benefits of Staying Active
🧘 Stress Management
The holidays bring extra demands on your time and energy. Exercise is a proven way to manage stress and boost your mood. Endorphins released during workouts can lift your spirits and help you cope with seasonal pressures. Even a little activity each day goes a long way toward keeping you calm and centered.
🛡️ Immune System Support
Cold and flu season
🤧 ramps up in winter, Staying active helps strengthen your immune system and lowers your risk of getting sick. Keep up with workouts to stay healthy and enjoy your plans without interruption.
⚖️ Weight Management
Holiday treats are delicious but can add extra pounds. Exercise burns calories, boosts metabolism, and balances out indulgences. Plus, it’s a great outlet for all that extra holiday energy.
👩⚕️ Need a Little Help?
A physical therapist can design a customized plan to keep you on track—even with a busy holiday schedule. They’ll show you simple exercises you can do at home and share tips for fitting activity into your day.
🎯 Quick Tips to Stay Active
• 📅 Schedule your workouts like any other important appointment—don’t cancel on yourself.
• 🚶 Find ways to be active with friends and family, like going for a walk after a meal
• 🏋️ Keep home exercise equipment (like weights or a yoga mat) accessible and ready to use.
• 🚗 Park further away from stores and buildings to get in extra steps.
✨ Don’t let the holiday hustle derail your health goals. With a little planning and creativity, you can stay active and enjoy a happier, healthier holiday season 🎄💃.
References
Research:
Fredslund EK, Leppin. A Can the Easter break induce a long-term break of exercise routines? An analysis of Danish gym data using a regression discontinuity design. BMJ Open 2019;9:e024043.
Henk Aarts, Theo Paulussen, Herman Schaalma, Physical exercise habit: on the conceptualization and formation of habitual health behaviours, Health Education Research, Volume 12, Issue 3, September 1997, Pages 363–374
Enjoyment as a Predictor of Exercise Habit, Intention to Continue Exercising, and Exercise Frequency: The Intensity Traits Discrepancy Moderation Role
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.780059/full
Marilyn Moffat, Stefan Hegenscheidt, Shamay Ng, Duncan Reid, Nirit Rotem-Lehrer & Mark Tremblay (2012) Evidence-based exercise prescription: raising the standard of delivery, International Musculoskeletal Medicine, 34:1, 21-36,
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1179/1753615411Y.0000000016
Articles/Content
Physical Therapy for Exercise
Exercise Videos from Physical Therapists
Stressed during the Holidays
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/02/well/move/holiday-stress-exercise.html